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I am pondering the idea of what it means to have a shadow or a dark side. In this world of wellness there is a lot of hype around being of the light and serving the light. This is a great guiding principle, but I think that it is only part of the formula of how feel happy, healthy and whole.

We live in a world of duality… black/white, yin/yang, negative/positive. The shadow concept is about being and working with thoughts and emotions that are hidden from our consciousness. These thoughts and emotions are usually about things we do not want others to know. The important thing is to realize that these thoughts and emotions carry energy and therefore influence us. It means we sometimes say and/or do inappropriate things because of the energy’s charge and influence.

Yikes! This explains how I can feel like I am out of control on the inside and yet appear cool and calm on the outside. Unfortunately, it can also be the other way around with being edgy on the outside and not understanding what I did that upset someone. All of us have these pockets of past hurt energy sitting with a charge and waiting to be triggered. I want to be aware and not do any harm with my words or actions. So, how can I get to know this aspect of myself?

The first thing I need to do is acknowledge that I have these charged pockets of hurt that can cause me to be less than ‘cool’.

The next step is to answer this question… if friends and family were interviewed what would they say is an example of my ‘uncoolness’?

I think my family and friends would say I am too hard on myself and push myself and others as a result of the desire to be super organized. For example, I find myself quietly judging my sweetie on his ‘disorganized’ approach to the day.

What has this insight into my shadow taught me? It has taught me to be curious about other ways to plan the day and to experiment. That I can have a general plan but let the energy flow. I’ve been surprised by the adventures I can have! I have learned to follow the energy… imagine that !!!